Directions

Put the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix the salt, sugar, water and yeast, then rub this into the flour with your fingertips. Add the eggs and mix until the dough comes together. Add the butter and continue to mix until the dough is smooth and springy. All of this can be done in an electric benchtop mixer with a dough-hook attachment. Cover the bowl with a damp tea-towel and leave in a warm place for an hour.

With lightly floured hands, roll the dough into 8 balls. If you want to make a hole in the doughnuts, push the handle of a wooden spoon through the centre. Leave the balls on a lightly floured tray to prove for 20 minutes.

Pour the oil into a deep saucepan or deep-fryer to a depth of at least 10cm. Get the oil hot (175C). Test with a little bit of dough; when dropped into the oil, it should float to the surface and brown. Lower the doughnuts gently into the oil and cook until golden brown – about 10 minutes. Fry in batches if necessary, so as not to overcrowd the pan.

Scatter caster sugar and few pinches of ground cinnamon over a baking tray. Drain excess oil from the doughnuts, then roll in the sugar until well-coated. Fill with jam and cream and eat while still warm.

Dedicated to food and wellbeing, Be Well is The New Zealand Herald's weekly Monday magazine that celebrates your relationship with food. Be Well offers recipes and kitchen tips contributed by some of New Zealand's most talented cooks and chefs, reviews and insider knowledge on where to eat in New Zealand and abroad, gardening and fresh food tips as well as new trends to help you live well. Be Well – Your recipe for life.